Espresso machines are a familiar sight in restaurants and coffee houses throughout the world. While espresso machines come in a variety of different configurations, the basic characteristics and functions of the espresso machine are consistent. The basic espresso machine includes a boiler which can boil water and discharge water for use in brewing a beverage. The espresso machine includes a water exit which is typically called a group head. The group head is configured so that a porta-filter can be securely attached in a sealing manner over the exit. The porta-filter includes a brewing chamber therein which is removable from the espresso machine along with the porta-filter. A brewable substance, most commonly very finely ground espresso beans, is placed within the brewing chamber of the porta-filter and the porta-filter is connected to the group head. The espresso machine is then activated, causing heated water just slightly below boiling temperature to be drawn through the ground espresso beans within the brewing chamber. An outlet from the porta-filter extends down beneath the porta-filter and the espresso beverage is collected within a small pitcher, called a demutante, which rests upon a drain tray of the espresso machine which extends away from a front of the espresso machine and beneath the group head. The espresso is most commonly diluted with various other beverage components to create a variety of different beverages.
While the basic espresso machine and porta-filter configuration is effective for brewing espresso, it suffers from numerous drawbacks. Specifically, the espresso machine cannot be utilized in its known prior art configurations to effectively brew tea, herbs, spices and coffee from ground coffee beans. When espresso beans are finely ground and used within known prior art espresso machines, the finely ground espresso beans are compressed within the brewing chamber. By compressing the espresso grounds, the espresso grounds initially block holes which provide an exit from the brewing chamber. When the espresso machine is activated to direct heated water into the brewing chamber, the heated water cannot initially pass through the outlet holes. Hence, pressure builds up and the water is rapidly infused by the espresso grounds in this high temperature, high pressure environment. Once the heated water has soaked through the compressed espresso grounds and reached the outlet holes, it has been fully brewed into espresso and is ready for discharge out of the outlet of the porta-filter.
In contrast to this espresso brewing process, tea is formed from tea leaves and herbs and spices are similarly formed from various different structures such as tree bark, flower petals, leaves and other natural structures distinct from a ground up bean. These structures are damaged and less effectively infuse dissolved flavor particles into heated water when they are highly compressed. Similarly, coffee beans are most effectively infused into heated water when the coffee bean grounds are not compressed. Additionally, tea leaves, herbs, spices and coffee grounds are most effectively infused into heated water when they are provided with residence time of a sufficient amount adjacent the heated water to fully extract the desirable flavor components from the brewable substance. Hence, utilization of such non-compressed brewable substances within an espresso machine does not effectively occur. Should brewable substances, such as tea leaves, be placed within the brewing chamber of a known prior art espresso machine, the heated water would pass through the brewing chamber too quickly and result in only partial extraction of tea flavor components from the tea leaves and only partial infusion of the heated water with the desired flavor components, when compared to known prior art tea brewing processes. Hence, a need exists for an espresso machine and attachments to an espresso machine which allow the espresso machine to brew a beverage which is brewed from a brewable substance which does not need to be compressed within a brewing chamber and which allows the brewing process to occur in a slower more controlled manner for proper residence time to complete the brewing process.
Additionally, because espresso machines are particularly configured to brew espresso and deliver the espresso into a demutante resting on the drain tray, only a very small space is provided between the drain tray and the porta-filter when the porta-filter is attached to the group head and in use along with the espresso machine. Delivery of the espresso into a demutante on the drain tray adds additional complexity to any overall drink preparation process in that the espresso or other beverage collected in the demutante on the drain tray must later be transferred into the beverage container, such as a glass, for serving to the customer. While devices are known to provide a limited amount of deflection of a beverage laterally after the beverage is discharged from the brewing chamber in the porta-filter, such known prior art deflection systems are inadequate to provide an operator of the espresso machine with maximum efficiency in preparation of drinks utilizing the espresso machine.
Often drinks made utilizing an espresso machine have at least two distinct components. For instance, espresso can be mixed with steamed milk to produce a "latte." It is often desirable to layer such drinks by placing a deflection surface such as a spoon, adjacent a top surface of a first ingredient of the beverage and then direct the second ingredient of the beverage onto the top surface of the spoon so that it pools in a distinct layer on top of the layer composed by the first ingredient of the beverage.
Prior art devices for effectively layering a drink, such as a spoon or other specific layering tool, do not work directly with the espresso machine. Rather, they require that multiple different tools be used separately in multiple stages before the final beverage is ready to be served to the customer. These individual devices must then be provided with a place for storage, further hampering the overall operation of the espresso machine and the delivery of beverages to the customer. Accordingly, a need exists for an attachment to an espresso machine which allows a layered beverage to be produced in a single step without requiring additional layering tools in addition to the espresso machine and porta-filter combination.